The present invention relates to serially associated electrical connectors for feeding automated wiring machines.
It is known that connectors are currently increasingly used to accommodate electrical terminals to be connected to electrical connection wires.
In particular, the connection assemblies are used in wiring meant for mass-production.
Wiring machines which automatically connect electrical wires and metal terminals are commercially available for this purpose.
In order to allow wiring machines to operate adequately, the machines must be supplied with connectors and corresponding terminals as simply and effectively as possible.
Feeding individual connectors was immediately found to be inadequate for wiring machines, because of problems in solving the dynamics of feeding and because such machines require continuous feeding at a very high rate.
Packs constituted by a plurality of connectors arranged side by side in succession within elongated hollow supports have accordingly been produced.
However, this solution is not ideal owing to the rigidity of the packs and to the difficulties encountered in handling them.
In order to obviate the rigidity drawbacks of connector packs, reels have been provided which are constituted by a plurality of connectors which are connected to each other by mutual engagement.
However, also this solution is not ideal, since it entails constructive and manufacturing complications during the production of the reel because it is necessary to start from individual connectors and then produce engagement.
Moreover, the engagement among the connectors is not always reliable, since excessive play can lead to weakening of the connection among the connectors.